tomatillo

American  

[toh-muh-tee-oh, -teel-yoh] / ˌtoʊ məˈti oʊ, -ˈtil yoʊ /

noun

plural

tomatilloes, tomatillos

1. a plant, Physalis ixocarpa, of the nightshade family, native to Mexico, having yellow flowers with five blackish spots in the throat and bluish, sticky berries in a purple-veined calyx.

---

tomatillo British  

/ tɒməˈtɪləʊ, -ˈtiːjəʊ /

noun

1. a solanaceous plant, Physalis ixocarpa , of South America

2. Also called: green tomato.  the greenish-purple fruit of this plant that is a staple in Mexican cuisine

---

Etymology

Origin of tomatillo

1910–15; < Spanish, diminutive of tomate tomato

Compare meaning

How does tomatillo compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• tomatillo vs. tomato

Example Sentences

It includes breakfast sandwiches with slight uplifts - one comes with avocado and tomatillo along with egg and sausage - desserts such as filled donut-like pastries called McPops, and snacks including pretzel bites.

From BBC • Dec. 8, 2023

On the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and in the lush mountains, pozole is often green — seasoned with a salsa of roasted poblanos, spinach, cilantro and tomatillo.

From Salon • Feb. 3, 2023

In Philadelphia, “Mexican pizza” swaps tomato sauce for a base of black bean purée or tomatillo, guajillo pepper or mole sauces.

From New York Times • Nov. 16, 2022

Find starters to share such as guacamole and green pipian deviled eggs, then order up pasilla-marinated skirt steak tacos or chicken enchiladas in a creamy tomatillo sauce for the main course, with churros for dessert.

From Washington Post • Aug. 10, 2022

With his lanky legs and webbed feet, he looked like a tomatillo with toothpicks jutting out of it.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera